Betzabeth Marquez, the head of the Compensation for Competitiveness Program (Agroideas) stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri) will invest more than 44 million soles in the regions of Piura and Lambayeque to replace rice and other basic agricultural product crops with organic banana and avocado crops.

Marquez said that there would be crop substitutions on 261 hectares incorporated into the Agricultural Productive Reconversion Process.

The official said that, to start the conversion process on the northern coast, the sector would co-finance the project with 28 million soles (60% of the total) through Agroideas for the execution of 16 business plans, which would allow 263 producers grouped in 16 agricultural organizations to acquire fertilizers, agricultural machinery, seedlings, and high quality tillers.

She also stated that the rest of the investment would be financed by the producers through special credits from the Agroperu Fund.

The national head of Agroideas participated in start of the organic banana harvest of 100 hectares of crops, belonging to 3 organizations from the district of Olmos, who have received a total of 1.9 million soles from Agroideas for the acquisition of technology, fertilizers and high quality seedlings.

After highlighting the producers’ contribution in the region to strengthen the supply chain, Marquez said that Agroideas had improved the productivity of 616 hectares of crops in the region of Lambayeque by promoting an investment of 5.8 million soles, boosting the production of corn, wheat, quinoa, coffee, milk, organic bananas, and the raising of guinea pigs, which had benefited 544 farmer families.

“Our goal is to turn farmers into an engine of development with equal status,” she said.